Karen Blixen Coffee Garden and Cottages: Our full report

Karen Blixen Coffee Gardens and Cottages offers comfortable and characterful accommodation in the leafy and ...

... peaceful suburb of Karen, around 20 miles from downtown Nairobi. Built on the former coffee plantation and farm estate of the Swedo African Coffee Company, the property is nestled in 5 acres of land. The present-day hotel reception building was once the historic Swedo House which dates from 1906. This was the original hunting lodge and farm manager's house for the plantation that belonged to the famous 'Out of Africa' Blixen family.

A little newer, but still maintaining some period features are the 10 guest cottages (comprising six standard doubles/twins, including one fully accessible room, three two-bedroom family cottages and one larger, more private honeymoon suite) which are dotted throughout the lush and manicured gardens.

All of the cottages have a private veranda, and internally are decorated in similar style. Each have a small lounge area with armchairs and a fireplace (which can be lit on request), large comfortable beds with nets, TVs and spacious bathrooms with twin basins and walk-in showers. There are tea- and coffee-making facilities, as well as a mini fridge, electronic safe, iron and ironing board for guest use.

There are three restaurants to satisfy your appetite, each offering contemporary cuisine with a Kenyan touch. The most popular are the Hatton Lounge and coffee garden and Atrium bar which are open all day and serve everything from freshly roasted coffee and pastries to more substantial brunch dishes, to light lunches and a range of dinner dishes and cocktails. Babette’s is open in the evening only and offers fine dining; ‘French Danish fusion with an Africa twist’ is how they describe it. The restaurants are also open to outside guests, so in the evening, and especially at weekends it is advisable to reserve a table.

Near the restaurant you’ll find the heated outdoor swimming pool (beware, there are no depth markings, so enter with caution) and there is also a small spa and gym.

As a sister property of the long-standing Karen Blixen Camp on Mara North conservancy, many travellers will just spend a short night in Nairobi at the beginning or end of their safari, but if you have a little more time, the property is very well located for some of the city’s main tourist attractions.

Almost next door is the Karen Blixen Museum, and nearby is the Giraffe Centre, and worthwhile Kobe Tough beading project. The property is about half a mile from the Karen Golf and Country Club. Other popular options include visiting Nairobi National Park or the Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage (both of which need to be pre-booked).

Our view

Karen Blixen Coffee Gardens & Cottages is a peaceful and well located place to spend a night or two at the start or end of your safari. We enjoyed wandering around the gardens which were full of sweet-smelling frangipani and colourful bougainvillea.

Parita Masani

Kenya expert

Geographics

Location: Nairobi, Kenya
Ideal length of stay: Spend one or two nights here to explore Nairobi at the start or end of your safari.
Directions: Karen Blixen Coffee Gardens is around a 30 minute drive from Wilson Airport Nairobi. We suggest leaving an hour to reach JKI Airport Nairobi, but the new bypass and Express Way usually means the journey is much quicker.
Accessible by: Fly-and-Transfer

Food & drink

Usual board basis: Bed & Breakfast
Food quality: We were impressed by the quality and variety of food options on offer when we stayed here. There is something to suit all tastes and special dietary requests can be catered for with advance notice. There are multiple menus and restaurant options to choose from, and the Hatton Lounge kitchen is open 24 hours, so even if the restaurant is closed it is possible to order room service.
Dining style: Individual Tables
Dining locations: Indoor and Outdoor Dining
Drinks included: Drinks are extra cost, with soft drinks costing around $3, or a beer or glass or wine around $6.

Children

Attitude towards children: Accepts children of all ages.
Property’s age restrictions: None
Special activities & services: There are no specific facilities for children, although there is a good sized pool.
Equipment: Baby cots and highchairs provided on request.
Generally recommended for children: Good for children of all ages, although we advise supervision around the swimming pool.

Communications

Power supply notes: There is 24 hour electricity and guests can charge all of their electrical equipment in their rooms.
Communications: Mobile phone signal is fine, and there's wi-fi throughout the hotel.
TV & radio: There are TVs in every room.

Health & safety

Medical care: Good medical care is available within minutes of the hotel.
Dangerous animals: Low Risk
Security measures: There is security in place 24 hours a day.
Fire safety: Fire extinguishers are dotted around the property

Activities

4WD Safari
Birdwatching
Cultural excursion
Elephant encounter

Extras

Disabled access: In Place
Laundry facilities: A laundry service provided at extra cost.
Money: There are electronic safes in all rooms.
Accepted payment on location: Karen Gables accepts payments by cash or credit card.